Chapter Forty-Five: Regret and Wisdom

The Village Hidden in the Clouds had halted its hostilities and even dispatched a delegation to sign a peace treaty in the village?

Hearing the news brought by Fugaku, Uchiha Li was not particularly surprised, yet he felt a certain sense of sentimentality. Although the Cloud Village had exploited the turmoil caused by the Nine-Tails incident to stir up trouble at the borders, they had never managed to break through Konoha’s defenses.

After nearly a year-long standoff, with nothing gained, internal disputes within the Cloud Village were likely rampant, making it unsurprising that they could no longer persist.

What moved Uchiha Li was that, despite everything, certain events had still unfolded. The current timing was somewhat earlier than the original ceasefire between the Cloud Village and Konoha—approximately a year ahead. The deduction stemmed from the fact that, in the original timeline, after the ceasefire, the Cloud Village likewise sent a diplomatic mission.

Upon arrival in Konoha, this delegation appeared to sign the peace treaty, but secretly infiltrated the Hyuga estate, attempting to abduct the three-year-old Hinata Hyuga.

At that time, the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga, quickly discovered the intruder and struck down the Cloud envoy with a single blow. This unexpected incident triggered yet another diplomatic dispute between Konoha and the Cloud Village, just after the peace treaty had been signed.

The Cloud Village, citing the death of its diplomat in Konoha, demanded that Konoha hand over Hiashi Hyuga, the clan head who had killed their envoy, or face renewed war.

In the end, the Third Hokage weighed the pros and cons and chose to yield, sacrificing Hiashi’s brother, Hizashi Hyuga, to quell the Cloud Village’s anger and avoid another conflict.

But now, Hinata was barely two years old, and the Cloud ninjas had already sent their envoys.

“Is this my influence? After all, both the state of the village and the situation at the border are much better than originally expected.”

Touching his chin, Uchiha Li considered the possibility. With his intervention, the Fourth Hokage had not perished during the Nine-Tails turmoil. After nearly a year of recovery, he should be well enough by now.

On the battlefield, Uchiha Li had single-handedly slain numerous Cloud ninjas, including the elite Jonin Troy.

Considering all these changes, it was only natural that the Cloud Village had sought an earlier ceasefire.

The only question now was whether the Cloud Village would repeat its attempt to steal Hinata’s Byakugan, as in the original story.

If not, then so be it. But if they did, perhaps he could use the incident to achieve certain goals, especially given the current circumstances...

“Li, what are you thinking? Why aren’t you answering me?”

Fugaku’s words snapped Uchiha Li out of his thoughts.

“Sorry, I was just reminded of something important,” Li said apologetically, then asked, “How long will it take for the Cloud delegation to arrive in the village?”

Fugaku considered for a moment before replying, “They should be here within five days. Both our village and the Cloud are taking this agreement very seriously.”

“The village certainly is, but I’m not so sure about the Cloud,” Li replied, shaking his head. The urgency of the Cloud delegation hinted at something unusual.

Fugaku sensed the peculiarity in Li’s tone and asked, puzzled, “Is there a problem? That shouldn’t be the case, right?”

To him, the war had reached a point where it benefited neither side, so ending it was only natural. The Raikage, Ay, though hot-tempered and aggressive, had accomplished little, and opposition within the village was inevitable. All things considered, ending the war was the best option.

Under such circumstances, there shouldn’t be any unexpected developments.

Li shook his head, “While I can’t say for certain, the possibility of something unforeseen is not small.”

At this point, an idea suddenly formed in Li’s mind, so he continued, “Clan Leader, I have a friend who has received important information. If we can leverage this intelligence...”

As Li slowly revealed the information and his plan, Fugaku’s expression gradually grew more grave.

He tapped the table lightly, deep in thought, his face marked by hesitation.

After a while, Fugaku asked uncertainly, “Li, is your… friend’s information reliable?”

He didn’t believe Li had a friend with such intelligence, as the implications were too great. Yet he also knew Li wasn’t one to joke—he must have something concrete.

This only made Fugaku more hesitant, for if they followed Li’s plan, it might make the village even more wary of them.

If it succeeded, it would be fine, but if it failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Seeing Fugaku’s familiar indecision, Li was unsurprised.

Pointing to his own eyes, Li spoke earnestly, “Clan Leader, you may not trust my friend, but do you not trust my eyes?”

He paused briefly, then continued, “If this succeeds, we will no longer be isolated—perhaps we could even reverse the fate of our clan!”

“Let me think it over. This decision is too far-reaching; I need time,” Fugaku replied, visibly moved but still unable to decide.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Li, but Li’s plan was risky.

The plan required some Sharingan from the clan’s secret vault, which was manageable.

Though Fugaku didn’t know what Li intended to do with them, as long as it wasn’t something that would betray or seriously harm the clan, he could support it. The Sharingan were precious, but none could compare to Li’s Mangekyo!

But Li’s plan involved far more complex matters, possibly involving the Hyuga and all of Konoha.

Li, seeing that letting Fugaku hesitate further would mean missing the opportunity, knew from experience that it was time to push the clan leader.

He stood up abruptly, his voice cold, “Clan Leader, what are you hesitating for? How much unnecessary suffering has our clan endured due to your indecision?”

He deliberately slapped the table and raised his voice, “If you refuse, I’ll carry out the plan alone. And if that’s the case, from now on, you can handle clan affairs yourself!”

With that, Li turned and strode toward the office door, his resonant voice already echoing into the corridor outside.

Clan members on duty in the hallway heard the raised voices inside—familiar ones at that—and exchanged uneasy glances.

It felt strangely familiar, as if such a scene had played out before.

Fugaku watched Li’s unhesitating departure, his face darkening as he recalled Li’s words.

He shouted angrily at Li’s retreating figure, “Uchiha Li, I am your clan leader!”

Li did not pause, nor did he look back, only replying coolly, “Clan Leader, you will regret this!”

Hearing these words, Fugaku finally lost his composure.

But as Li neared the door, showing no sign of stopping, Fugaku was reminded of yesterday’s clan meeting.

Had he been firm from the start, that confrontation might never have happened.

Ultimately, Fugaku collapsed into his chair, closed his eyes, and yelled, “Fine, I agree! Will that satisfy you? Must you drive me to despair?”

Li paused in his steps, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “Clan Leader, your wisdom is admirable.”